Arm/Leg/Knee Warmers

[surgtech1956]

Please teach me about arm, leg and knee warmers. Do I need both knee and leg warmers? Does everyone have arm/leg/knee warmers? Lycra only or fleece lined? Thanks

[VeloVT]

I love arm warmers. I have about 10 pairs in different colors and weights (including leopard). They are fab for days that start out cool and warm up, or windy days, or hilly rides (hot on uphills, but cooold on descents). You don't ever have to take them off, you can just push them down when you get warm and pull them back up when you get cold. I think it's worth having some that are fleece lined and some that are lighter weight. I strongly recommend getting the kind with silicone grippers at the top (note that the standard PI arm warmers and Shelia Moon arm warmers do NOT have grippers), and if you have skinny-girl arms be wary of ordering men's small if you can't try them on first, unless there is a great return policy, sometimes they are pretty big.


Leg and knee warmers, on the other hand, I don't love. They make unflattering bulges on my (not hugely flabby) thighs. For my purposes, if it's cold enough for legs/knee warmers, it's usually cool enough for knickers or tights, which are more flattering and more comfy (it's a huge pain if leg warmers slip down while you're riding). I don't go on a lot of rides that start out in tights-temperatures and end in shorts temperatures. However, if you do lots of long tours, you may find them more useful.

But some people love them. You will have to try them and decide for yourself .

[lph]

indeed. I have one pair of arm warmers, Assos no less, that I hate. They're snug and warm and well made and all that, but they have a very firm gripper and I end up with a gripper tattoo across my bicep and sore skin near my armpits. I have one pair of knee warmers and one pair of leg warmers that I like and use a lot. Sportful is their unelegant name. The gripper is fine on me, the material is very thin, only drawback is the full-length ones have gotten a bit sloppy and loose, and they were always a bit short. Very handy for days when it'll heat up later, common weather here. The arm warmers I only wear when I'm pinched for storage space.

Maybe it's just a size thing.

[Crankin]

I have a pair of Terry arm warmers, that fit me, but, they don't have a gripper and do slide down a little. I have been using them more and more, since I seem to be able ride with less covering as the years go on. If it's in the fifties, I wear a Craft base layer under a jersey, arm warmers, and a vest. Then I can peel off layers as it warms up. I need women specific arm warmrs that have a gripper!

I have a pair of Sheila Moon knee warmers, which fit fine, but I can only wear them with my Terry Bella shorts; the other ones cause too much of a "bulge" and I also don't have huge thighs. Since I can wear knickers up to just about 70, I usually just wear those.

[indysteel]

I'm with Liza. I love arm warmers, but not leg or knee warmers. For the arm warmers, I like Sugoi. I think I got them at TE. I'm on the thinner side (but not stick thin) and their grippers hold w/o being too tight. They might offer them in different sizes; I can't remember.

Instead of leg warmers, I just wear knickers. I have some PIs that cover my knees and some Shebeest that cover down to my calf. I find them pretty comfortable even once the temp starts to rise.

[surgtech1956]

Thanks ladies. I'm heavy, so I think I'll stay away from the leg warmers. I usually just ride in sweats when its chilly, would like to get some cycling apparel, theres something about being overweight and wearing lycra.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Thanks ladies. I'm heavy, so I think I'll stay away from the leg warmers. I usually just ride in sweats when its chilly, would like to get some cycling apparel, theres something about being overweight and wearing lycra.

That's why I like black cycling knickers/capris- pretty flattering if you are pear shaped or heavy. Black lycra s-m-o-o-t-h-e-s out little lumps and bumps! I avoid elastic hems on arms and legs and waist as much as I can. They only look good on slim gals.

If shorts are too cold I wear knickers for riding. If knickers are too cold I wear long tights. I often take an extra long sleeve thin lightweight top with me if I get chilly, or just leave it in my saddlebag. Or a lightweight bolero. Simple enough method for me!
I can't be bothered with sausage elastic hems or with arm and leg pieces creeping down as I ride- that would drive me absolutely crazy!

[OakLeaf]

Most of my group rides start at 8 am, so that means that the temps will be rising by 25 or 30 degrees F while we're out. Some kind of "warmers" are a necessity.

I have a set of knit wool PI arm warmers and another set of light fleece lined Lycra ones.

I have Adidas knee warmers, but I really don't like them. They're too tight around the calves, cut off my circulation and give me cramps. I'm inclined to get a pair of full-length leg warmers.

+1 on compression garments being flattering! Those knee warmer lines definitely aren't... but you deal with it, it's better than cold stiff leg muscles.

[Pedal Wench]

I have both arm and leg warmers. I hate to state the obvious, but if your legwarmers are causing bulges, order the next size up. With a good gripper, they shouldn't move.

[Eden]

Being a pretty small person leg and knee warmers that actually fit are a bit hard to find... my arm warmers are team issue and do OK if the jersey I have has decent arm hole elastic, but fall down if the sleeves are loose, even though they have silicone gripper at the top. I have a pair of youth size Assos knee warmers (purchased at a deep, deep discount at a swap meet from a team mate) that I love, love, love. They are fleece lined and very comfy. The best leg warmers I've ever found are actually arm warmers...... my husbands... (Canari men's L - fleece lined, sooooo comfy) Short ladies, mens size L or XL arm warmers can be your ticket to leg warmer bliss - just be sure to actually try them on, as not all arm warmers do have openings big enough to accommodate even a small thigh. The length is exactly right.

[missjulied]

I have a pair of Descente arm warmers that fit really well for slender women's arms.

I like waring leg warmers on my morning commute in the summer. It's often 45 degrees in the morning and 70 when I bike home, and just packing the warmers instead of an entire pair of knickers on the way home saves me a lot of room.

I guess it depends on what your riding situation is. I usually don't wear leg warmers on weekend recreational rides, but they're just the thing for chilly summer morning commutes.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Most of my group rides start at 8 am, so that means that the temps will be rising by 25 or 30 degrees F while we're out. Some kind of "warmers" are a necessity.

I often start a ride at 40F and end up at 70F or so, say three hours later. I just wear knickers- they're comfortable for me in that whole temp range as long as the 40F doesn't last more than an hour or so. If the range is 30-60F I'll wear long tights. If it's 50-80F I'll wear my shorts.

I have both arm and leg warmers. I hate to state the obvious, but if your legwarmers are causing bulges, order the next size up. With a good gripper, they shouldn't move.

That doesn't quite work as planned for me. I can't tell you how many expensive bike shorts and knickers I've tried on that were plenty big everywhere EXCEPT having impossibly tight hem grippers/elastic. AGHHH. If I'd gotten larger size they would have fit in the gripper but baggy everywhere else. Not sure what the problem is, but I've finally now got tights, shorts, and knickers that fit everywhere perfectly without their sausage elastic being too tight. Most that I tried on were simply impossible. Wearing items that double or triple the number of elastic bands around my arms and legs just is not going to happen for me.
My system works quite well for me, even when the temps run a big range during a ride... so I can't really agree with the statement that arm warmers and leg warmers are 'a necessity' for biking. Everyone is shaped differently and has different needs and solutions.

[Crankin]

I agree with Lisa. If I bought knee warmers in a bigger size, they would be huge on me. The bulge comes from where the hem of the shorts interacts with the top of the warmer. When I wear my Bella shorts, which are longer and have a very high lycra content, it doesn't happen. I have "athletic" legs, not skinny minny ones, but I am a small person.
Eden, I have thought about trying the men's arm warmers and using them for my legs, because I want a pair of full length ones. Right now, the knee warmers I have, go down to my mid calf, but if it was really cold, I guess I would be wearing tights. However, sometimes, I want the flexibility to "strip down," if I know it will be getting warmer.
Nancy, you should just get some knickers! I think they are flattering for the reasons stated above; high lycra content holds you in!

[surgtech1956]

Crankin, maybe I will try some knickers. I'm getting a 'visual' of myself in leg warmers and its not a good one.

[DebW]

I love knee warmers. I put the gripper elastic over my shorts, and they stay in place perfectly. I've almost quit using leg warmers because knee warmers and long socks work just as well. If I'm wearing longish shorts, my regular crew-length smartwool socks almost touch the knee warmers. When I warm up, I can push the socks down and the knee warmers up and/or down. My arm warmers are fleece and are almost too hot much of the time. I made myself another pair of arm warmers by cutting the toes off a pair of longer socks.